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Researchers invent chewing gum to fight oral cancer
New York Post • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have bioengineered chewing gum containing the FRIL protein from hyacinth beans, which targets and neutralizes three microbes linked to oral cancer, including human papillomavirus (HPV).
- The gum demonstrated 93% effectiveness in reducing HPV in saliva samples by causing viruses to clump together and blocking viral entry and infection within cells.
- The antiviral gum is low-cost to produce and is currently awaiting FDA approval to begin clinical trials involving human subjects chewing the gum three times daily for four weeks as an adjunct to standard cancer treatments.
- While initially intended to complement therapies like radiation and surgery, researchers aim for the gum to eventually be available over-the-counter to help manage the oral microbiome related to cancer prevention and treatment.
